45°
DARIEN, Conn. Some neighbors of the Darien Senior Center believe a new playing field would be a better option for the site than 20 units of proposed affordable housing, which have some residents worried.
Edgerton Street residents Derek Lublin and Ken Fiveson presented preliminary plans for a new field to the Board of Selectmen on Monday night. The full-size soccer and lacrosse field would be 200 feet by 300 feet and would include parking.
Weve spoken to 62 residents in the neighborhood, and everyones for this idea, Fiveson said. The field would add less congestion than the proposed housing because it would be used seasonally and during daylight, he said.
From our perspective, the field offers something the town needs now and retains flexibility for the Board of Selectmen to use that land for something else Darien might need in the future, Lublin said. The playing field would maintain the areas focus on education and youth activities, he said.
Lublin reiterated some of the concerns neighbors have expressed about the senior development, including traffic. When the plan was presented to the Planning and Zoning Commission, he said some members noted the lack of sidewalks, which could pose a danger.
If senior housing is built on Edgerton Street, sidewalks are an absolute necessity, he said.
Bruce Hill of the Darien Senior Housing Initiative presented the plan to the selectmen Monday night as well. Sidewalks were not a part of the proposal and would most likely have to be installed by the town, Hill said. But the initiative supports the idea, he said.
The board will discuss the housing plan more fully when it is formally submitted, First Selectman Jayme Stevenson said. She invited the neighbors to submit their own plan and said the board would balance the need for playing fields with the need for affordable housing.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Darien and receive free news updates.
